Toronto goes on a pothole repair blitz Saturday
The City of Toronto is planning another pothole repair blitz on Saturday, May 1. This is the third pothole blitz in 2021 and the second in three weekends.
Crews will start repairing as many potholes as possible on Toronto’s major roads, neighbourhood streets and expressways starting at 6 a.m. Saturday morning.
The blitz will see 25 crews (62 staff) work a 12-hour shift, with appropriate physical distancing measures in place, to help keep roads safe.
Residents who are driving or biking for essential travel on Saturday should expect delays. Road users asked to respect all City crews and work zones and give crews space.
This will be the third pothole repair blitz of 2021, including blitzes on March 13 and April 17, when City crews repaired nearly 9,000 total potholes. Since the beginning of 2021, the City has repaired more than 54,000 potholes, primarily through proactive daily patrols.
Pothole repair blitz crews are made up of the same City staff who handle general roadway maintenance and safety work, as well as spring clean-up efforts.
Potholes can be repaired normally within four days of crews being made aware, through both proactive patrols and via 311 service requests from residents. When there are large numbers of potholes to be repaired, they are triaged based on size; repairs are prioritized on major roads first.
The City has a comprehensive pothole repair program and has budgeted approximately $4.7 million in 2021 to fix potholes on streets, including in bike lanes. Each pothole costs approximately $25 to repair.
“Fixing potholes is important maintenance work that keeps roads safe for people that are making essential trips by car, bike or transit, as well as for those who are just out for a bike ride to get exercise. Thank you to City crews who will spend Saturday doing this important work.”– Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rough Park) Chair of the infrastructure and Environment Committee
A few examples of how the City manages road surfaces include:
- planned maintenance closures of the Gardiner Expressway and DVP
- proactive daily repair and maintenance of potholes by patrolling crews, as well as response to 311 service requests from the public
- pothole repair blitzes, as required
- annual local and major road resurfacing projects, as part of the City’s road maintenance and resurfacing program
Learn more about how Toronto manages potholes at www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation/road-maintenance/potholes/.
The best way for the public to report potholes is by visiting www.toronto.ca/home/311-toronto-at-your-service/ and choosing ”Roads”.
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